Electrically-operated track switch



April 20 1926. a 1,581,615

. G.A. MEAD ELECTRIGALLY OPERATED TRACK SWITCH o g Filed Jan. 5, 1924 whine ELEGTRICALLY GPERATED Tlills.

Original application filed January 3, 1e24- 1 To all QIZZQ'ZIE. may concern Be it known that l, {license A. MEAD a citizen of the United States of i lmericu, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of 011 10, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Operated Tracl: Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to track switches and 1)articular1}, to electrically and automatical ly operated tracl: switches under control of the car operator as he approaches the switch.

The object of my invention is to provide a system 1 1 can be operated by the car operator by applying the well known principle of power on and power oil the motors and constitutes a division of my copendiug application Serial No. GEE i 25 liled January 3, 19%.

My invention. resides in the new and novel construction, combination and arrangement of the various electrically operated switches, circuits, etc, hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the drawing accompanying this specification.

In the drawing: I

Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing the various circuits usually found in an electrically opcrateo car and which circuits 1; make use of in the operation of my invention. 1

F 2 is a schematic drawing showing the arrangement of the various elements making up my invention under normal conditions, that is just before or just alter the system has been operated by a moving vehicle and then returned to its normal condition for further operation and shows the switch tongue set to the curved position as operated by the coil 5.

Referrh to Fig. 1, it is invariably found that electr cally operated cars are provided with a current collector N and trolley pole 'l connecting the current collector to the car. The car is usually provided with motors and a controller C tor applying power on or power oil the motors at the will of the car oper The cars are also provided with an riy circuits for supplying: current to the heaters l-l, lights L and the air compressor l The auxiliary circuits are not under the control of he paratu is in operation, but

Sti -IKE CH.

Serial No. 6891,5550. Divided and. this application filed. July 30,

Serial Ito. 47,073.

controller C and, therefore, their current is not only variable, depending on whioh'a-pbe considerable as compared with the current flowing tllOUgll the motors M and, therefore, I take this fact into account in designing certain elements as herein later described.

rent from the trolley wire through the col lector l and through a common ground G Or separate grounds, as may be desired. It will be noted that when the operator turns his controller C to the power on position that a heavy flow of current will pass through the motors M, but when he tiu'ns his controller to the power oil position no current will flow through the rectors M, but current may H, L 2111C. ll. The power on and power oil operation of the controller I make use of for the operation or" my invention and l have so arranged my system that with power on the motors the switch tongue is automatically set to, the curve position and is set to the power oil when the controller position the switch tongue is automatlcally set to the strzught ahead position.

L rill apparatus derives its curthe current may Referring to 2 I employ a contact pan P provided with two contact members 1 and 2 which are aced adjacent the trolley conductor 3 and which are normally insulated from each other and so arranged that when the current collector lV engages the pan P the collector will be out of engagement with the conductor 3'. However, when the collector engages the sun P the elements 1 and 2 will be electrically connected. It will also be noted that when the collector W engages the pan P that there is also a path tor the current to flow from the contact pan to the ground through the trolley and apparatus H, L and F if in operatioin and also through the inotors M if the controlleris'set to power onl I also employ tra l switch A which comprises two solcnoios 4iand 5 and having one terminal connected to the ground G through the common conductor 6. The solenoids are provided with a plunger 7 to which a connecting rod 8 is secured which in turn connected to track switch tongue 9. ion the solenoid lis energized the plunger E drawn inwardly and the tongue 9 is set for the straight ahead position and when the solenoid 5 is energized the plunger 7 is drawn outwardly and the .switch tongue 9 is set for the curve position as shown in Fig. 2.

I also employ an electrically operated switch B which is provided with two coils 10 and 11 and an armature 12 adapted to engage the contacts 13 and 14:, but which is normally in engagement with the contact 13. The contact 14 is electrically connected to the remaining terminal of the solenoid 5 by the conductor 15, while the contact 13 is connected to the remaining terminal of the solenoid 1 by the conductor 16 and 17 switch arm 18 and contact 19. It will be evident that when the arm 12 is de-energized and engages the contact 13 with the switch arm 18 is closed, that the solenoid 1 will be energized and the switch tongue thrown to the straight ahead position, and if the arm 12 engages the contact 14; the solenoid 5 will be energized and the switch tongue 9 moved to the curve position. 7

I also employ an electrically operated switch G provided with operating coils 20 and 21 and an arm 22, also contacts 23 and 25. The switch arm 22 is normally in engagement with the' contact 25 and out of engagement with the contact 23. The relation of the contacts to the switch arm are such that the arm 22 will engage the contact 23 before the circuit is broken at the contact 25, at least this engagement will tend to eliminate any arcing at the contact 25 when the circuit is opened at this point.

One terminal of the coil 10 is connected to the contact member 1 by the conductor 26 and the other terminal is connected to the contact 25 by the conductor 27 and the switch arm 22 is normally connected to the trolley conductor 3 by the conductor 28.

Interposed between the conductors 26 and 28 is a resistance R and it will be noted that this resistance is normally in shunt with the coil 10, but when the switch C has been energized the conductor 27 is opened at the contact 25 and, therefore, the resistance R is no longer a shunt across the coil 10, but does remain as a connection between the contact member 1 and the trolley conductor 3. The object of the resistance R is to decrease the current which will flow through the coil 10 and, therefore, decrease the current which must be broken by the switch C at the contact 25. The use of the resistance R forms a connection at all times between the pan and the trolley conductor both when the switch G is opened and closed. The winding of the coil 10 is so proportioned that it will operate to pick up the arm 12 when the collector engages the pan with power on.

It will be evident that the energizing of the coil 10 depends upon the drop of potential across the resistance R and, working on this principle, the current in the coil 10 will be quite small as compared with the current which will flow through the coil 10 if the system was designed to operate without the resistance R and hence the current which must be broken at the contact'25 will be much easier to control than if the system operated without the resistance It.

The coil 10. has its windings so proportioned. with respect to the resistance R that when current is flowingt-hrough the motors M, the ampere turns will be sufficient to raise the arm 12, but if the current flowing through the resistance R and coil 10 is that due to the auxiliary apparatus H, L and F, the ampere turns of the coil 10 will not be suflicient to raise the arm 12.

\Vhen the contact member 2 is energized by being connected with the conductor member 1 through the medium of the collector the coil 20 will be energized as its terminals are connected to the contact member 2 by the conductor 29, and to the ground by the conductor '30.

lVhen the coil 20 is energized the arm 22 will be raised and engage the contact 23 and will break its engagement with the contact 25, but, as already stated, the engagement is preferably not broken at the contact 25 until the engagement is made at contact 23. This, however, is not absolutely necessary as the current broken at the contact 25 is not great when the resistance R is used, but by making simultaneous engagement between the contacts 25 and '23 we are assured of practically eliminating all arcing at the contact 25. The opening of the contact 25 does not open the circuit between the conductor 1 and the conductor 3 as the resist ance R, which is preferably of low value, still connects these elements and, therefore, the resistance R and its connections offers a path for the supply of current to the motors of the car should the car come to rest with the collector in engagen'ient with the pan P, otherwise the car would not be able to move on as there would be no connections between the conductor 3 and the contact 1 for the reason that the circuit connected to the contact 25 is open.

As soon as the arm 22 is raised and energizes the contact 23, current will flow through the conductor 32, coil 21, and conductor 33 to the arm 12 thereby energizing the same. lVh-en the coil 21 is energized it' becomes a stick or holding coil for the arm 22 and will maintain the arm 22 in engagement with the contact 23 as long as current is flowing through the solenoids 4 or 5 regardless of whether the collector is in con tact with the pan P or has passed beyond the pan.

Under these circumstances it is necessary to provide means to open the circuit supplying current to the switch arm 12 in order is moving sufliciently slow, but if the car is moving fast and the collector passes the pan P before the switch D opens, the switch 22 will be maintained closed on account of the holding coil 21 switch D opens. It the car should come to rest for any reason with the collector in contact with the pan P and should later. start up, the throwing of the controller to power on will not energize the coil 10 for the reason that its circuit is open at the contact 25 and the contact member 1 is deriving its current from the trolley conductor through the resistance It and its connections. From this it will be a and 5 are supplied with current for a predetermined time regardless of the position of the current collector after it has set the system in operation with power off.

' If the car operator desires to take the curve when he approaches the pan P, he will throw his cont-roller to the power on position. In this case the coil 10 willbe energized and the switch C operated and the arm 12 raised into engagement with the contactll. The holding coil 11 comes into op- V oration immediately and maintains the arm 12 in engagement with the contact ltuntil the switch D opens after a predetermined time which may be while the collector is still in engagement with the pan or after it has passed beyond the pan. It will be noted that should the car for some very remote reason stop with its controller in engagement with the pan P after it has engaged it with power on and the switch D has opened, that the switch 12 will then drop loack into engagement with the contact 13, but this cannot operate the track switch to the straight ahead position for the reason that the circuit through the solenoid a is open at the contact 19 and held openas long as the collector engages the pan P due to the energizing of the coil 20.

V I claim:

1. In a switch operating system, the combination 01" a trolley conductor, a contact pan, an electrically operated track switch, a resistance connecting the conductor and the pan, a selector switch to direct the movement of the track switch and having controlling circuits thereto, an operating coil for the selector switch connected in shunt with the resistance and energized when the pan is engaged by a current collector with power on to operate the selector switch.

2.. In a switch operating system, the combination of a trolley conductor, a contact pan, an electrically operated track switch, a resistance connecting the conductor and the pan, a selector switch to direct the movement of the track switch and having controlling circuits thereto, an operating coil for the selector switch connected in shunt with the resistance and energized when the pan is enbeing energized until the seen that the solenoids gaged by a current collector with power on to operate the seletor switch and means to open the circuit through the coil when the collector engages the pan.

3. In a switch operating system, the combination of a trolley conductor, a contact pan, an electrically operated track switch, a selector switch to direct the movement of the track switch and having controlling circuits thereto, an operating coil for the selector switch connected to the conductor and the pan and -a shunt normally connected across the terminals of the coil to control the current flowing therethrough.

4-. In aswitch operating system, the combination of a trolley conductor, a contact pan, an electrically operated track switch, a selector switch to direct the movement of the track switch and having controlling circuits there-to, an operating coil torthe selector switch connected to the conductor and the pan and a shunt across the terminals of the coil to control the current flowing therethrough and means to open the circuit through the coil.

5. In a switch operatingsystem, the combination of a trolley conductor, a contact pan, an electrically operated track switch, a selector switch to direct the movement of the track switch and having controlling circuits thereto, an operating coil tor the selector switch connected to the conductor and the pan, a shunt across the terminals of the coil to control the current flowing therethrough, means to open the circuit through the coil and close the controlling circuits to the track switch.

(i. A switch operating system comprising in combination, an electrically operated track switch, operating circuits leading thereto, a selector switch controlling the operating circuits to direct the movement of the track switch, an operating coil for said selector switch, and a resistance across the terminals of said coil as described.

7 A switch operating system comprising in combination, an electrically operated track switch, operating circuits leading thereto, a selector switch controlling the operating circuits to direct the movement of the track switch, an operating coil for said selector switch, ,a resistance across the terminals of said coil as described, and normally closed means connecting the coil and resistance in shunt and operating to break said shunt when the selector switch has positioned said track switch.

8. A switch operating system comprising in combination, an electrically operated track switch, operating circuits leading thereto, a selector switch controlling the operating circuits to direct the movement of the track switch, an operating coil for said selector switch, a resistance across the terminals of said coil as described, normally closed means connecting the coil and resistance in shunt and operating to break said shunt when the said coil has beenenergized and means to control said operating circuits after a predetermined time after the operation' of the track switch.

9. A. switch operating system comprising in combination, an electrically operated track switch, operating circuits leading 10 thereto, a selector switch controlling the opcrating circuits to direct the movement of the track switch, an operating coil for said selector switch, a resistance acrossthe terminals of said coil as described, normally closed means connecting the coil and resistance in shunt and operating to breaksaid shunt when the said coil has been energized and means to control said operating circuits.

I11 testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

GEORGE A. MEAD. 

